Bad Habits
by Iris Ixchel
Summary: It is said that it takes 21 days to break a habit. It took 21 days for Hermione to realize that the life planned out for her maybe isn’t the one she wanted after becoming a professor at Hogwarts with Draco Malfoy. HGDM
1. Morning 22: The Morning After Part 1

**Bad Habits**

**By:** Iris Ixchel

It is said that it takes 21 days to break a habit. It only took 21 days for Hermione to realize that the life planned out for her maybe isn't the one she wanted. After becoming a professor at Hogwarts with Draco Malfoy everything she's ever known is called into question. HGDM

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**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything of the Harry Potter brand. J.K. Rowling owns it all.

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**Prologue: Morning 22**

Hermione Granger sighed as she began to wake up. Feeling the sun on her toes she smiled at how lovely she felt. Very soon after registering that thought panic set in, as far as she knew her apartment didn't have a window near the bed. In fact the window was on the opposite side and Hermione's eyes instantly shot open. The walls were gray. The walls in her apartment were a light blue. The sheets in this bed were white while the sheets in her bed were a cream color. She had researched the color herself to make sure it would be sleep condusive. _Oh Merlin_, she thought, _I'm not in Kansas anymore_. Her eyes went even larger when they instantly reached a conclusion to her situation. _No, there's no way that's the reason. It can't be… _Trying to reach a logical conclusion she went through all the reasons she could have spent the night other than at home with Ron. _Maybe I had too much to drink and someone let me sleep at their place? Or maybe I flooed wrong, didn't realize it, and ended up here. But none of those options explain why I'm naked._ She turned her head into the pillow and groaned. While banging her head against the pillow she thought, _I didn't just cheat on Ron. I did not give into my crush and decided to act on it._

"I'm so dead." She muttered. "I'm _so so so_ dead." Holding up the sheet to her chest the events of the previous night came back to her. At that moment she knew that life as she knew it was shattered. She had slept with the last person she ever expected to like, much less fall for and she had Ron waiting at home for her decision on a ring. Where had happened to the rule following Hermione from her school days gone? The one who would've ignored the feelings and wouldn't have slept with someone other than Ron? Where was the girl who saw her entire life with Ron and couldn't wait to be apart of the family? Wiping away tears that had started to form she slid out of bed with the sheet wrapped around her. Picking up her clothes, she got dressed and prepared herself to face Draco Malfoy.


	2. Morning Day 1: Preparations

**Bad Habits**

**By:** Iris Ixchel

It is said that it takes 21 days to break a habit. It only took 21 days for Hermione to realize that the life planned out for her maybe isn't the one she wanted. After becoming a professor at Hogwarts with Draco Malfoy everything she's ever known is called into question. HGDM

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**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything of the Harry Potter brand. J.K. Rowling owns it all.

**Author's Note: **Thanks reading and reviewing!

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**21 Days Earlier**

Hermione Granger ran a brush through her hair for what seemed like the hundredth time that morning, and then seeing that it still didn't make her hair have the desired style, frowned. _Stupid frizz ball hair_, she thought frustrated. It seemed to be the only childish feature about her to not melt away with maturity. It was the missing piece to her look for this morning. The minute she had gotten the owl she laid out her outfit, making sure it was pressed to perfection well in advance. She was the image of professionalism…except for the hair. It was always the hair. Sighing, she grabbed her wand and muttered the spell which would make it controllable. She tried to keep the magic a minimum when home, preferring to indulge in cooking and teaching muggle skills to Ron. _Now_, she thought, _now I'm ready to face Dumbledore for the job interview_. Defense Against the Dark Arts was once again an open position looking to be filled and Hermione had gotten an owl to meet for it. Grinning from ear to ear she couldn't have sent the owl back with her reply fast enough. Since graduating Hogwarts she had spent part of the time rallying for the rights of House Elves, writing for various publications, and had spent a small amount of time at the Ministry. It was fun at first, jumping from job to job, something new and could it change whenever she wanted, and it was a challenge constantly. Yet now she was looking for something more permanent. Ron probably had something to do with that she pondered. After dating for so long it seemed only natural that the conversation to move in was going to come up soon with marriage after that. With this job she would have stability and free lodging for her and Ron to live in officially, it was the perfect plan. Checking the clock, she quickly grabbed her briefcase and double checked to make sure she had her work resume, skills resume, and references. Walking over to the bed where Ron was still sleeping soundly she lightly shook his shoulder and bent down to his eyelevel.

"Ron." She said quietly, shaking his shoulder again when he didn't respond. He cracked one eye open.

"Hey," he said yawning and rolling onto his back, "You leaving to see Dumbledore?"

"Yeah. I'm kind of nervous though." She admitted. "Defense, while I was good at it, so many other people were better at it like Harry and even Malfoy managed to get a higher grade than me for a while. Maybe I should've gotten another reference or-"

"Hermione you've got this in a bag." Ron interrupted. "You had the top grades of our class. Love, you have a letter of recommendation from the Minister, he'd be crazy to not hire you." She smiled and kissed him.

"And this is why I love you." She paused. "I'll be back whenever they let me out. Have a good day at the shop." After graduation Ron had gone into Fred and George's business, eventually becoming a partial owner and had opened a new shop just recently. Ron was supervising in-store today until all the employees got the swing of things. Another kiss and Hermione grabbed the flower pot of floo powder. Throwing the powder into the fire she yelled,

"Hogwarts!"

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Draco Malfoy was very aware that when he opened his eyes it triggered a headache. He was also very aware there was a woman lying next to him. He prayed to Merlin that it was not who he suspected it was. Slowly opening his eyes he realized his worst nightmare had, indeed, come true. Draco Malfoy had slept with Pansy Parkison after getting completely hammered. He wasn't sure what in the world had possessed him to get so drunk when he was meeting with Dumbledore that morning about the open teaching position, but then again it was him and only then did it not surprise him so much. He shoved off Pansy's arm around his waist and shuddered. _I should probably get tested for every disease under the sun._ Groaning his mind instantly went to what needed to happen next.

"Draco?" she asked in a dreamy fog with a slight smile remembering all that had happened. "Where are you going?" He rolled his eyes at her while getting out of bed. Even though she was trying her hardest to be alluring, she only looked like a clown with most of her heavy make-up smeared on her face.

"I've got somewhere to be. Get dressed, the House Elves will show you out." He said with an annoyed tone while grabbing a pair of pants and a shirt from his closet. Pansy climbed out of the bed behind him,

"Didn't you have fun last night?" she purred into his ear while kissing his neck, trying to tempt him back into bed.

"Minus the parts that included you, then yes I did have fun last night." He fixed his hair and turned to face her, "As I said before I have somewhere important to be and I would like you to leave." Pansy's face fell for a fracture of a minute but then regained a cool composure. It was out of the question to think someone of her status would actually show disappointment or sadness. Today was just another Malfoy conquest but tomorrow had the hope of him waking up and realizing she was the one for him. Gathering up her dress she slipped it over her head,

"What, or _who_, is more important than me?"

"It's a _what_, Pansy. I'm applying for a job at Hogwarts." She wrinkled her nose at the notion and laughed.

"Surely that's a joke Draco?" When his expression didn't changed, she looked at him like he was crazy. "Why on Earth would you work there? Or work in the first place? I know your father despised you but I assumed he left you all the money?" Referring to his father's death the previous summer while his mother had died the year before that.

"He did, but unlike you I want to do something with my life." She glared and he rolled his eyes in response, putting the final touches on his appearance.

"Have fun at your little interview and lower yourself to the level of a common teacher. You'll see that you don't and won't ever fit in there." She pointed out.

"Thanks for the luck Pansy, now leave." He replied with an icy edge to his voice. She gave up and left without anymore fan fair. Draco quickly gathered the materials he'd need to give to Dumbledore into a briefcase. He was shocked at first to get the owl, assuming he wasn't high on Dumbledore's list of favorite students. Still he replied he would love to interview for the job and actually, secretly, looked forward to getting the job. The statement to Pansy wasn't a lie, he did want to do something with his life other than be the son of a disgraced family name and live off the money left to him. Malfoys always got what they wanted and Draco wanted the job so he considered it as good as his. After one last look in the mirror he threw a punch of floo powder into the fireplace and shouted,

"Hogwarts!"


End file.
